John c



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J. o. STEVENS.l

BUTTON MAQHTNE. -A N0.365,550. Patented June '28, 1887.

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mlinmmmm d UNITED i STATES PATENT EEICE.,

JOHN o. STEVENS, OE PORT CHESTER, NEw YORK, ASSTGNOR TO NATHAN o. POND, MARSHALL O. WEST, AND ERNEST SIMONS, ALL OE SAME PLACE.

BUTTON-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 365,550, dated June 28`y 1887.

Application filed March 15, lrl.

To all whom, it 11mg/ concern: u

Be it known that I, JOHN C. STEVENS, reA siding at PortzChester, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand- Machines for Making Covered Buttons; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ol' the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which forni apart of thisA specification.

My invention'relates to an improvement in portable handmachines for making covered buttons, the object being to produce a device which shall be at once compact, convenient, durable, and efficient. s Y

With these ends in view my invention con sists in the combina-tion, with a frame having a stationary bed for the formers, of a head pivoted to swing in a plane parallel with such bed, carrying a screw forloperating the forniers, and provided with a brace adapted to be engaged with af stationary Ypart of the ma-y chine for bracing the head against thescrew when the same is operating the lformers.

My invention further consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure-1 is a View in elevation of a machine embodying my invention, with itsY Swinging head in operative position and the Stationary formersin place upon the bed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine with the head swung aside .and the formers removed, and Fig. 3 isa sectional view of the machine as shown in Fig. 1.

The bntton-formers, consisting of the rings A and B and the punch C, the ring B and the punch being movably coupled together th rough pin D and Slot E, are of known construction. They areinterchangeably used with other Similar formers of different size, and, except -in combination,fconstitute nol part of this invention. A circular knife for cutting the covers is also employed with the machine, but not shown herein.

The frame F may be of anysuitable construction. It is provided with a stationary other end thereof.

bed, G, having an annular recess, H,to re Serial No. 230,940. (No model.)

oeive the ring A, into which the ring B and the punch Care set, as shown. The said frame is also provided with an upright sleeve, I, made integral with it, and henccstationary, and extending upward from one end of the bed G. The frame is further provided with two lugs, J J, also made 'integral with it, 1o-

cated at the opposite end of the bed from the sleeve, and having inwardly-projecting extensions K K, with a space, L, between them.

Av swinging head,made in one piece and mounted to swivel upon the frame in a plane parallel with the bed thereof, consists of a yoke, M, an upright post, N, at one end of such yoke, and a parallel brace, O, at the vertical operating-screw, P, which is located midway between its ends. This screw isprovided at its upper end with an operatingwhecl, Q, having a handle, R, and at itslower .end with a loose head orplaten composed of two'disks, S and T, secured firmly together. The upright post N is encircled at its lower end by a groove, U, and fits into the Sleeve I, in which it is locked against endwise movement by a screw, V, mounted therein and cntering the said slot encircling it. A shoulder, W, formed between the said cross bar and the post, bears upon the upper edge of the sleeve and carries the weight of thev head. The brace is provided at its lower end with horizontal projections X from its opposite sides, and forming a foot or shoe adapted to run under the overhanging extensions K K of the lugs J J, whereby the head is braced against the screw when the Same is operating thel formers, the brace being free for lateral movement in the plane in which the head swings. A pin,Y, located in the frame against the space L,between the lugs J J, formsastop and limits the swinging movement of the head, which it arrests when the loose head or platen isin line over the bed. Under my construction the head, being eccentrically swiveled toV the frame, leaves, when swung aside, the bed of the same exposed, and hence conveniently accessible from above for all necessary manipulations, while the brace, by securing the free The said yoke carries a.

or outer end of the head to the frame when it is under the heavy outward pressure exerted by the screw, relieves the swivel of undue strain, which it divides with the same.

In using my improved maehineit is secured to or simply rested upon a table, bench, or lap-board. The fabric with which the buttons are to be covered is then placed upon a suitable flat surface, such as a thin board. The knife is then placed upon the cloth, and both are exposed to pressure under the screw for cutting out the covers. For this operation the head may or may not be swung aside, to arrange the cloth and knife, as found lnost convenient. After the covers have been cut the ring A is mounted in the bed. A cover is then centered in the ring, after which ashell is centered in the cover. Both cover and shell are then forced into the ring with the fingers, the head being at this time swung aside for convenience of access to the ring. A button-back already made is then pntinto the ring. rlhen the ring B and the punch C are put into it. rlhe swinging head is then swung around to center the screw over the punch, the shoe of the brace being at the same time slipped under the locking-lugs of the frame. The wheel is then operated to turn the screw down upon the punch, which, with the ring B, is forced into the ring A under heavy pressure, whereby the cover, shell, and buttonback are assembled into a perfect button. After the button has been made, thc wheel is reversed and the screw turned back to free the punch and no more, for then the head is swung aside, leaving the formers exposed for their removal for taking out the button.

It is obvious that the frame and swinging` head herein shown and described are not limited in use to the application set forth, and that their consti-notion may be varied within limits. I would, therefore, have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction and arrangement of parts herein shown and described, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention. Thus, if desired, the screw may be forced down upon the forlners by alever applied after the screw has been turned down to contact with the punch.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is#

1. In a machine for covering buttons, the combination, with a frame havingastationary bed for the formers anda stationary sleeve, of a head swinging in a plane parallel with such bed and provided with a post turning in such sleeve and locked against endwisc movement therein, with a screw for operating the formcrs, and with a brace having at one end afoot or shoe and lugs located upon a stationary part ofthe machine and receiving under them the said foot or shoe of the brace, whereby the same braces the head against the screw when the same is operating the formels, substantially as set forth.

2. In a machine for covering buttons, the combination of a frame having a recessed bed, removable formers fitting into such re cess, an upright located at one side of the recess, a head having a yoke and a brace depending from the same, and a screw for operating the formers mounted in the yoke, the said head being pivoted to the upright to swing horizontally, but locked, by means substantially as described, against vertical movenient, and the lower end of the brace being provided with extensions for engagement with a stationary part of the machine, substantially as set forth.

3. In a machine for covering buttons, the combination of a frame having a bed for the formers, a stationary upright sleeve located at one side ofsuch bed, a head havinga yoke, a post and a brace, and a screw mounted in the yoke for operating the forlners, the said post and brace depending from the opposite ends of the yoke and theformer turning in the upright sleeve, but locked, by means substantially as described, against vertical movement therein, and the latter being provided at its lower end with extensions for engagement with a stationary part of the machine, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

.TOI-IN C. STEVENS.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN E. MARsHALL, C. H. PALMER. 

